Floor rack



Feb 1,1938.

R. J. OLANDER FLOOR RACK Filed July 10, 1936 a: as 2; a0

2 sheets-shew; 1

Feb. 1, 1938. OLANDER 2,106,852

FLOOR RACK Filed July 10, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Irwnzar land J0 Patented Feb. 1, 1938 UITED STATES FLOOR RACK Roland J. Oiander, Chicago, Ill., assignor to W. H. Miner, Inc., Chicago, 111., a corporation of Delaware Application July 1936, Serial No. 90,017

16 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in floor racks for refrigerator cars, and more particularly to floor racks which are readily removable.

One object of the invention is to provide floor 5 racks for railway cars of the refrigerator type which may be completely removed from the car when desired to convert the same for use for lading which does not require elevation from the floor, and which may be quickly and easily 1.) replaced in position within the car to again restore the car to its original condition.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a removable floor rack of the character described in the preceding paragraph comprising sections which are hinged so that they may be swung, out of the way, to a vertical position against the side walls of the car, wherein the rack sections are provided with hinge members, permanently attached thereto and securely but removably anchored to the walls of the car, whereby the rack sections may be quickly and easily detached and bodily removed from the car to convert the car for service which does not require elevation of the lading from the floor.

. Other objects of the invention will more clearly appear from the description and claims hereinafter following.

In the drawings forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a horizontal sectional view 39 of one end portion of a refrigerator car illustrating my improved rack structure in connection therewith. Figure 2 is a top plan view, on an enlarged scale, of a portion of my improved rack structure illustrating a certain detachable hinge member and showing part of the wall structure of the car in horizontal section, the section corresponding substantially to the line 22 of Figure 3. Figure 3 is a vertical sectional View, corresponding substantially to the line 33 of Figures 1 and 2. Figure 4 is a transverse vertical sectional View, corresponding substantially to the line 4-4 of Figure 3. Figure 5 is a top plan view, on an enlarged scale, of another portion of my improved rack structure, illustrating 4.3 a certain supporting hinge member and showing part of the wall structure of the car in horizontal section, the section corresponding substantially to the line 55 in Figure 6. Figure 6 is a vertical sectional view, corresponding substantially to the line 6-6 of Figures 1 and 5. Figure '7 is a transverse vertical sectional view, corresponding substantially to the line 1-? of Figure 3, Figure 8 is a top plan view of a certain connecting angle bar shown in Figure 1, for the hinge members of the improved rack structures,

said View being on an enlarged scale, and illustrating the angle bar and connected hinge members detached from the other parts of the rack structure. Figure 9 is an enlarged plan view of a portion of the bar shown in Figure 8. Figure 5 10 is a vertical sectional view, corresponding to the line Ill-10 of Figure 9. Figure 11 is a view similar to Figure 3, illustrating another embodiment of the invention. Figure 12 is a vertical sectional view, corresponding substantially to the 10 line l2l2 of Figure 11.

In said drawings, A indicates one end portion of a refrigerator car body provided with the usual insulated walls, floor, and roof, the side walls of the car being indicated by 202fl, the 15 end wall by 2|, and the floor by 22. One of the bulkheads or transverse partitions which separates the ice compartment at the end of the car from the remainder of the car is designated by 23. As well understood by those skilled in this art, two such bulkheads are provided in each car, one at each end thereof, and the space between said bulkheads serves to accommodate the lading. When the car is used for lading requiring elevation from the floor, the entire floor space between said bulkheads is covered by a floor rack structure. It is the common practice to employ a floor rack structure composed of a plurality of separate sections, comprising two duplicate sets, the sets being divided lengthwise of the car and each set being divided transversely of the car into sections.

My improved floor rack structure, as shown most clearly in Figure 1, comprises a plurality of similar sections 24-44, two of which are 35 shown in full in Figure l, and two adjacent sections of which are shown broken away. The sections 24 are arranged in sets at opposite sides of the center line of the car and cover the entire floor area of the car which is available for lading. As will be understood, each complete set may be composed of any desired number of individual sections.

Eachsection 24 of my improved floor rack structure comprises spaced transverse slats 2525 secured to laterally spaced, longitudinally extending, supporting beams or stringers 2626. Each section 24 thus forms a unit which is bodily removable from the car.

Referring first to the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figures 1 to 8 inclusive, each floor rack section 24 is provided with a plurality of hinges 2T, 21, and 28. The hinges 21, 21, and 28 of the sections of the fioor rack serve to support said sections in such a manner that the same 55 plate sections 3! and 32.

may be swung upwardly to vertical position against the side walls of the car, and any wellknown means may be provided for holding the same in the vertical position. In order to positively hold the rack sections against endwise and sidewise displacement when in horizontal position on the car floor, certain of the hinges thereof are detachably anchored to the side wall of the car. As shown in the drawings, the hinges 21-21 are anchored to the side walls 20-20 of the car while the hinges 28-28 are not so anchored, but mere- 1y supported on the floor. Although, as herein disclosed, each section is provided with three hinges 21, 21, and 28, two of which, namely, the hinges 21-21 are anchored to the car wall, it will be evident that a greater or lesser number of hinges may be provided on each rack section 24, any desired number of which may be anchored to the car wall.

The hinges 21-21 are preferably located at opposite ends of the section 24 and the hinge 28 midway between the hinges 21-21.

The hinges 21 and 28 are of similar design except as hereinafter pointed out. Each hinge comprises a pair of cooperating pivotally connected hinge members 29 and 30 which are preferably in the form. of castings. The hinge member 29 includes a right angular base portion composed of connected platelike sections 3| and 32 disposed at right angles to each other, and a vertically disposed central web 33 formed integral with said The web 33 has the lower edge thereof inclined away from the platelike section 32, as clearly shown in Figures 3 and 6. The web 33 is provided with a transverse pivot pin-receiving opening 34 which is reenforced by bosses 35-35 at opposite sides of the web, as shown in dotted lines in Figures 2 and 5. The base portion of the hinge member 29 is fixed to the floor rack section 24, the platelike section 32 thereof being in flat bearing engagement with the outer side of the outermost stringer or beam 26 of the rack section 24, and the platelike section 3| bears on the underneath side of the projecting endof one of the slats 25 of the rack 24 and is secured thereto by screws or similar securing elements. As shown in Figure 1, the slat 25, to which the hinge member 29 of the hinge 21 is secured, is preferably the second slat from the edge of the rack section, while the slat 25, to which the hinge member 29 of the hinge 28 is secured, is located substantially centrally between the ends of the rack section.

The hinge member 30, which cooperates with the hinge member 29, includes a base portion comprising a horizontal platelike section 36 and a right angular vertical platelike section 31 formed integral with the section 36. The base portion is provided with a pair of spaced parallel transverse webs 38-38 having upstanding hinge eye portions 39-39 thereon provided with aligned hinge pinreceiving openings. The webs 38-38 are formed integral with the base portion of the hinge member 30 and the upstanding hinge eye portions embrace the perforated portion of the web 33 of the hinge member 29. The hinge members 29 and 30 are pivotally connected by a hinge pin 40, preferably in the form of a bolt, extending through the openings of the hinge eye portions 39-39 of the hinge member 30 and the opening 34 of the hinge member 29. The hinge plate section 31 of the hinge member 30 of each hinge 21 is provided with a horizontally disposed T-shaped head 4| which projects from the rear side of said plate. The T-shaped head 4| serves to detachably anchorthe hinge member 30 of the hinge 21 to the side wall 20 of the car, as clearly illustrated in Figures 2, 3, 4, and '7 As shown most clearly in Figures 2 and 3, the side wall 20 of the car is provided with a pocket 42 adapted to receive the enlarged portion of the T-head 4| of the hinge member 30 of the corresponding hinge 21. As will be understood, the walls 20-20 of the car are provided with a plurality of such pockets 42, one for each hinge 21. Each pocket 42 is partially closed by a slotted cover or anchoring plate 43 which serves as an anchorage for the T-head of the corresponding hinge 21. As shown most clearly in Figures 2, 3, 4, and 7, the slot 44 ofthe plate 43 has a relatively wide upper section and a relatively narrower lower section. The wide upper section of the slot 44 is of such a height and width as to permit easy insertion of the wide portion of the T-head 4|, while the narrower lower section of said slot is restricted in width to fit the neck portion of the T-head and have the projecting side portions of said head overhanging the plate at opposite sides of said narrower section of the slot to thereby lock the head against withdrawal in an outward direction. The heads 4|-4| of the hinge sections 30-30 thus securely anchor the hinges 21-21 to the side wall of the car when the parts are in the position shown in Figures 2, 3, 4, and 7, thereby holding the associated rack section securely anchored to the car.

As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the hinges 28-28 differ from the hinges 21-21 only in that the hinge members 30-30 of the former are not provided with anchoring heads 4 |-4 The hinges 21, 21, and 28 of each rack section 24 are preferably connected by a longitudinally extending angle bar or beam 45 comprising a horizontally disposed base portion 45 provided with an. upstanding integral flange 41. The horizontal base portion underlies the bottom platelike sections 30 and the upstanding flange 41 abuts the rear sides of the vertical platelike sections 31 of the hinge members 30 of the hinges 21, 21, and 20, and are secured thereto in any suitable manner, being preferably welded as indicated in Figures 2, 4, and 5. As shown in Figures 2 and 7, the flange 41 is suitably recessed to accommodate the neck portions of the T-heads 4|-4| of the hinge members 30-30 of the hinges 21-21. The bars 45 form bracing and stiifening members for the bases 36 of the hinges 21, 21, and 28 and hold these hinge members in alignment. The base portion 45 of each bar is provided, at spaced intervals, with depending prongs 48-48, as clearly shown in Figures 8, 9, and 10 to hold said bars against endwise slippage. The prongs 48-48 are preferably formed by slitting the metal and bending down the end portions of the slit sections.

The embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figures 11 and 12 involves a modified anchoring means for the hinge members 21-21. As shown in said figures, the hinge 21 has the head 4| of the hinge member 30 thereof provided with a neck portion 48 which has the opposite side faces thereof downwardly and inwardly converging, thereby providing a. wedge shaped section. The inner end faces of the laterally projecting portions of the T-head 4| are inclined to the vertical as indicated at -50. The cover or anchoring plate 43, which closes the pocket 42, has the narrower lower section of the slot 44 downwardly tapered to correspond with the taper of the wedge shaped neck section 49 of theT-head 4| so that the neck section will be wedged into the slot to positively hold the hinge 21 against lateral play when the latter is anchored to the plate 43 by the head 4|, as most clearly illustrated in Figure 12. The walls of the plate 43 at opposite sides of said narrower section of the slot 44 are thickened, the inner faces of said thickened portions being correspondingly inclined to the inner end faces of the head 41 of the hinge member 30, thereby providing wedge acting portions which wedge against the head when the latter is forced down to positively lock the hinge member 30 against movement toward and away from the side wall 29 of the car.

When it is desired to convert the car for serice for lading which does not require elevation from the floor, the rack sections are detached and completely removed from the car, thereby making available the maximum lading capacity of the car. In detaching the different rack sections, it is merely necessary to lift the outer side portion of each rack section until the heads 4l4l of the hinges 21-41 register with the upper or enlarged portions of the slots 44-44 of the anchoring plates 4343 and then withdraw the heads through said openings by pulling the rack section away from the side wall of the car. To replace the rack sections, the reverse procedure is followed, the heads 4l-4l of the hinges 2'i21 being entered through the enlarged portions of the slots 4444 of the anchoring plates 4343 and then moved downwardly to engage the same in back of the anchoring plates at the lower narrow slotted portion thereof. As will be evident, the hinges 2121 are thus securely anchored to the side wall of the car and held against lateral displacement by the neck portions of the heads thereof, which neck portions snugly fit in said lower narrower portions of the slots in the embodiment of the invention shown in Figures 2, 3, 4, and '7 and which neck portions have wedging engagement with said slots in the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figures 11 and 12. When the rack sections have been anchored to the walls of the car, the hinged arrangement thereof allows the same to be swung upwardly out of the way against the side walls of the car in the usual manner.

I have herein shown and described what I now consider the preferred manner of carrying out my invention, but the same is merely illustrative and I contemplate all changes and modifications that come within the scope of the claims appended hereto.

I claim:

1. In a refrigerator car, the combination with a removable floor rack; of hinge means pivotally supporting said rack including cooperating pivotally connected pairs of hinge members, one of said members of said hinge means being fixed to the rack; and means for detachably securing the other of said hinge members to the car including a fixed anchoring member on the car and a cooperating fixed anchoring member on said last named hinge member, having shouldered engagement with said first named anchoring member and being slidable into and out of shouldered engagement with said first named anchoring member.

2. In a refrigerator car, the combination with a removable fioor rack; of hinge members pivotally supporting said rack; and means for detachably securing said hinge members to the car including cooperating sets of anchoring members on said hinge members and car, one of the members of each set being rigidly fixed to the car and the other member of each set being rigid with the corresponding hinge member, one of the anchoring members having anchoring shoulders and the other member of said set having a head removably engageable with said shoulders.

3. In a refrigerator car, the combination with a removable floor rack composed of separate sections; of hinges connected to said sections for pivotally supporting the same, each hinge comprising a pair of pivotally connected members; and means for detachably securing one of the hinge members of each pair to the car including cooperating pairs of shouldered anchoring members rigid with said last named hinge members and the car respectively, said anchoring members being slidable into shouldered engagement with each other.

4. In a refrigerator car, the combination with a removable floor rack section; of means for pivotally supporting said rack including a hinge comprising a pair of pivotally connected hinge members, one of which is fixed to the rack section, and the other of which has a fixed anchoring head; and rigid shoulders on the car with which said head is interlockingly engageable for detachably securing said hinge to the car and removably supporting said rack.

5. In a refrigerator car, the combination with a floor rack composed of removable sections; of means for pivotally supporting each section comprising hinges, each of said hinges comprising a pair of pivotally connected hinge members; a rigidifying bar connecting said hinges, one member of each pair of hinges being secured to said rack section and the other being secured to said bar; and cooperating interengageable anchoring means on the car and certain of said hinges for detachably connecting said rack section to the car.

6. In a refrigerator car, the combination with a floor rack composed of removable sections; of means pivotally connected to each of said sections for swingingly supporting the same; and means for detachably anchoring said first named means to the car, including interengageable shouldered members on said car and first named means and respectively rigid therewith.

'7. In a refrigerator car, the combination with a floor rack; of means pivotally supporting said rack; rigid anchoring members fixed to the car; and cooperating anchoring means fixed to said first named means and bodily slidable into shouldered engagement with said anchoring members for detachably securing said first named means to the car.

8. In a refrigerator car, the combination with a fioor rack composed of removable sections; of supporting members pivotally connected to each rack section; a rigidifying beam connecting said supporting members; and cooperating interengageable shouldered anchoring means on the car and certain of said members slidable into interlocked relation for detachably connecting said rack section to the car.

9. In a refrigerator car, the combination with a floor rack composed of removable sections; of hinges pivotally supporting each section; each hinge comprising a pair of cooperating pivotally connected hinge members, one of the members of each pair being fixed to said section; and means for detachably connecting the other member of said pair to the car, including a head on said member and a slotted anchoring plate on the car with which said head has shouldered engagement, 75,

the slot of said plate being of lesser width than said head and said head having a restricted neck portion engageable through said slot.

10. In a refrigerator car, the combination with a fioor rack composed of removable sections; of hinges pivotally supporting each section, each hinge comprising a pair of cooperating pivotally connected hinge members, one of the members of each pair being fixed to said rack section; and means for detachably connecting the other member of said pair to the car, including a head on said last named member and a socketed anchoring element on the car, said socket element having an opening through which said head may be freely inserted, and having shoulders adjacent said opening in back of which said head is engageable to anchor the head to said socket element.

11. In a refrigerator car, the combination with a floor rack composed of removable sections; of means for pivotally supporting each rack section, including a hinge comprising a pair of pivotally connected hinge members, one of said members being fixed to said rack section; and means for detachably connecting the other member of said pair to the car, including a fixed socket on the car, closed by a slotted Wall, and a head on said last named member engageable within said socket, the slot of said wall having an enlarged portion through which said head may be freely entered, and a restricted portion of lesser width than said head, said head being engageable in back of said wall at said restricted portion of the slot and having a restricted neck portion fitting said restricted portion of the slot.

12. In a refrigerator car, the combination with a floor rack composed of removable sections; of means for pivotally supporting each rack section including a hinge comprising a pair of pivotally connected hinge members, one of said members being fixed to the rack section; and means for detachably connecting the other member of said pair to the car including a head on said last named member and an anchoring socket element on the car, said socket element having an opening through which said head may be freely entered and a slot communicating with said opening, said slot being of lesser width than said head. said head having a restricted neck portion adapted to engage in said slot with the head in shouldered engagement with the socket element in overlapping relation with the side walls of said slot.

13. In a refrigerator car, the combination with a floor rack composed of removable sections; of means for pivotally supporting each rack section including a hinge comprising a pair of pivotally connected hinge members, one of said members being fixed to the rack section; and means for detachably connecting the other member of said pair to the car, including a fixed socket element closed by a Slotted wall and a head on said last named member engageable within said socket element, the slot of said wall having an enlarged portion through which said head may be freely entered and a restricted tapered portion of lesser width than said head, said head being engageable in back of said wall at said restricted portion of the slot and having a neck portion in wedging engagement with said tapered portion of the slot.

14. In a refrigerator car, the combination with a floor rack composed of removable sections; of means for pivotally supporting each rack section including a hinge comprising a pair of pivotally connected hinge members, one of said members being fixed to said rack section, the other member a said pair having a T-shaped head; and a socket element on the car adapted to accommodate said T-head, said socket element having a wall provided with a T-shaped slot therethrough, the wide part of said T-shaped slot being of a width to freely admit said T-head and the narrow portion of said slot snugly fitting the neck portion of said T-shaped head.

15. In a refrigerator car having side walls and a floor, the combination with a floor rack composed of removable sections adapted to be supported on said floor; of means for pivotally supporting each section including a hinge comprising a pair of pivotally connected hinge members, one of said members being fixed to the rack section, the other of said members having a horizontally projecting T-shaped head thereon; and a socket element on the side wall of the car adapted to receive said T-head, said socket element having a vertical wall provided with a T- shaped slot communicating with the interior of said socket, the wide portion of said T-shaped slot being of such a width as to permit free entrance of the wide portion of said T-shaped head, and the narrower portion of said slot being of such a width as to snugly fit the neck of said head.

16. In a refrigerator car having side walls and a floor, the combination with a floor rack composed of removable sections adapted to be supported on the floor; of means for pivotallysupporting each section including a pair of pivotally connected hinge members, one of said members being fixed to the rack section, the other of said members having an anchoring head thereon; and a socket element fixed on the car wall receiving said head, said socket having means thereon for wedging said head against inward and outward displacement.

ROLAND J. OLANDER. 

